Woman stabbed in neck during attempted mugging, police say

A woman was stabbed in the neck Tuesday night while fighting off a man who tried to steal her purse.

SALT LAKE CITY — A woman was stabbed in the neck Tuesday night while fighting off a man who tried to steal her purse.

The woman, in her 20s, was walking along a path behind the Faustina restaurant, 454 E. 300 South, about 8 p.m. when a man grabbed her purse and attempted to run. The woman struggled, and her assailant stabbed her twice in the neck, Salt Lake City Police Lt. Carl Merino said.

It appears the man may have been attempting to cut the woman's throat, causing "severe" wounds, Merino said. The man fled without the woman's purse, and the woman ran bleeding into the restaurant, seeking help.

The only details police have about the man is that he may be white and about 5 feet 9 inches tall, Merino said. No similar incidents have been reported to police, and officers were searching for the man Tuesday night.

The woman was taken in serious condition to University Hospital. Her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, Merino said.